Tony pulled himself from EJ's lips, gasping.

"What's wrong?" she asked, a slight pout on her face.

"I thought you said you understood!" Tony replied, slamming the table and causing a few nosy diners to turn their heads in the direction of the pair.

EJ felt her stomach drop. A hand flew to her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh God," she uttered, her cheeks flushing. "You didn't mean…"

"No, I didn't," Tony snapped, having lost interest in what the other people in the café thought of his behaviour.

"I'm so sorry, Tony, my old boss always said I was too ambitious," she rambled.

"Rule Number Six," he said bluntly, beckoning a waiter for their bill.

"What?"

"Gibbs' Rule Six: Never say you're sorry. It's a sign of weakness."

"Oh, for God's sake, Tony!" she spat, standing. "You worship the ground that man walks on and for what? What respect does he give you in return? Physical abuse, more like. You're just too proud to admit you hide in his shadow because you're afraid of him!"

"Hey!" he shouted, standing to meet her furious gaze with a matching one. "I've worked with Gibbs for ten years, Gibbs has been an agent twice as long and before that, he was a great Marine. You've been here five minutes and already you're throwing words around. I'm not taking it. See you Monday."

With that, he slammed a hundred dollar bill on the table and stormed out of the restaurant, leaving EJ under the judgmental gawk of strangers' eyes.

…

Mere seconds after Tony had found refuge in his car did the heavens open up, rain pouring down from the skies, wind ripping through the trees. Thunder crashed and lightning shone a ghost light over everything it touched for a split second before disappearing. By the time he was home, it had not yet ceased, and he ran from the driveway to the door before he could be soaked.

He walked through the door, his shoes squelching with every step, his hair plastered to his head and his clothes dripping. The house was dark, though through one door he could see the light shining through the gaps. It was the door to the basement, and he decided he should not disturb Gibbs. Still, in the darkness his keen eye could not miss the sleeping form on the sofa, rising and falling with every breath.

As quietly as he could, Tony tiptoed through the house, toward the bathroom, where a nice hot shower beckoned him. Carefully he peeled off his soaking clothes and stepped under the cascade of water. As the steaming water washed over his skin, EJ floated into his mind again. His plan to fix things had gone badly, to say the least. Not only did she take things completely the wrong way, but he had been the one to make a scene and embarrass himself.

He didn't know the half of it.

…

His wet clothes were thrown into the washing machine and replaced by an old T-shirt and a pair of boxers and he crept back into the living room to throw the spare blanket over Ziva. Despite the storm, it was a warm night, but he didn't want Ziva to get cold regardless.

"I'm awake, Tony," he heard her say, not even sounding tired, although she probably was.

"Oh, well in that case, are you coming to bed?" he asked, reaching for the light switch.

"I need to talk to you," she replied, rising from the sofa. "About EJ."

His stomach was in knots. If Ziva found out what had happened tonight she would be crushed. He said nothing, waiting for her to speak further.

"I know what happened this evening," she confessed. "You weren't home yet and I called Abby to see if you were still at work and she traced your cell phone to that café you always go to and McGee said you were with her and I just…panicked. So I asked them to access the security footage."

"We just talked," he tried to convince her.

"Don't lie to me, Tony."

"She brought it on, Ziva, I swear."

"You just lied through your teeth to me. You left it a whole week and didn't bother to even mention to this girl who so obviously has eyes for you that you were engaged with a child. How can I believe you?"

She sounded so defeated, so broken, so unlike his Ziva.

He pulled her close, a hand on her cheek, his eyes boring into hers. "Because, Ziva, I love you."

She just turned her head.

"Then why couldn't you tell her that?" Ziva asked in a tiny whisper.

"We were in the middle of a case."

"Has never stopped you before. And it was an open and shut case, we both know that. This girl won't be a part of your life in eight weeks. Why didn't you say anything?"

He sighed. "I don't know."

She looked as if she might cry.

"Ziva, it was just a kiss. I have no feelings for EJ."

"But it was one kiss you didn't get from me. I wasn't enough for you."

"It didn't mean anything, I swear," he said, words pouring from his lips.

"But it did. If it didn't, if she didn't, you would have said something the moment you met her."

"I love you," he said again, stroking her cheek. "You know that."

"They're just words, Tony. It may have just been one kiss, but I'm not stupid enough to think that it won't happen again. Maybe then it'll just be one night. Just one meaningless fling. You'll say the same thing then, but it was one more night that I wasn't enough for you. You can't teach an old dog, new tricks.
When I said I'd marry you, I meant that. For rich or poor, in sickness and in health. For better or for worse. I'd be your only one, and you'd be mine. If that's not true anymore then you can have your ring."

His heart stopped when she turned her back on him and he felt a ring in his hand.

"I thought you stopped running," he called after her.

She turned around, tears in her eyes. "I'm not running. When I said I was afraid of losing you, I ran. But that was different. It's not just me I have to protect now. I have a daughter."

"Our daughter."

"My daughter," she said, and began walking away.

"Where are you going?"

She ignored him, and entered the bedroom. She came back seconds later with a suitcase.

"Ziva, you're freaking me out here," he said worriedly.

"I'm going. I'm taking my daughter and I'm leaving. I'll stay in a hotel tonight, then with Abby until I can find a place. We'll figure something out with the house when it's finished being repaired. I'm taking the rest of my leave, and then I'm giving my resignation to Vance. I'm getting out of D.C., Tony. I need a fresh start."

"Ziva…"

"No," she sobbed, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I can't look at you without everything coming back to me. It hurts too much, Tony."

"Then why give everything up?"

"I have a child who needs me. I don't have the luxury of spending my time on a relationship that was doomed from the start."

He stepped forward grabbing her forearm. "At least, stay till morning. We can figure this out."

"This time, I don't think we can."

She placed her suitcase by the door and walked back into the bedroom, this time coming out with Willow's carry basket.

"You can't just take Willow with you, I'm her dad," Tony said desperately.

"You're her father."

Her words made his blood run cold as he remembered that terrifying New Year's Eve.

"Ziva, there's a difference between who your father is, and who your dad is. You father is the person whose sperm was used to create you. Your dad is the one who teaches his son to play baseball, football, about fishing, about girls. And his daughter, his little princess, he'll practically load his shotgun every time a boy comes near her. Your dad is the one who teaches you how to grow up, and face the world with your best foot forward. And you know, your father and your dad can be two completely different people."

Opening the door to face the heavy rain, Ziva raced to her car carrying both Willow and her suitcase, and miraculously, the baby girl remained in her slumber.

Once more, she braved the rain, returning to the front door, where Tony stood rigidly.

She opened her mouth to speak, but she had no more words for him. She had never wanted things to end this way. Hell, she had never wanted them to end at all. But she had to think of Willow now.

Tenderly, she placed her lips to the very corner of his mouth, tasting his skin, inhaling his scent for the last time. He remained still, not moving a muscle, and she walked away into the wet night.

He stared endlessly at the diamond ring in his hand. Six years' worth of memories flooded his mind, made tears blur his vision, broke his heart. Ziva was the best thing that had ever happened to him and she was gone.

He didn't know what to do.

…

A/N: was going to make this longer but it turned out longer than I expected so yeah. OK first, I didn't want to do this but I swear it has a purpose and remember, there's a big pot of Tiva at the end of the rainbow, so all is not lost. Please don't hate me too much.
Quick preview of the next chapter:

"I screwed up, Boss."

"Screwed up what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked absentmindedly as he carefully carved intricate patterns into woodwork.

"Everything."

He looked up from his wood curiously.

"I know what you're gonna say, but this time it was really was everything. She's the love of my life, the mother of my child, my partner, and she's gone. She's my everything, Gibbs."

Also, I promise other juicy stuff. Please review, but no flames/hate mail/whatever you choose to call it. Although you can bash EJ as much as you like. I will probably update tomorrow.